Page 35 of Scar

She had no intention of drinkingthatmuch tonight.

Tally stood up. Even with the cord out of the way, she still walked carefully around to the front of the couch. “I’m impressed with how much you’ve cleaned up. I really appreciate it.”

Mark cleared his throat as if embarrassed. “Yeah, yeah, I guess. I just…” She heard him place the wine glasses on the wood coffee table. “Apparently, I guess I cleaned up more than I usually do?”

It still sounded like a question, like he was as surprised as she was that his apartment was so clean. But if he hadn’t cleaned up, then who?—

Realization hit Tally as the cork popped out of the wine bottle. She jumped more than normal, not paying attention enough to Mark’s movements to realize what he’d been about to do.

“Oops, sorry. I should have warned you.”

“No, it’s fine,” she insisted. Her heart was racing like the cork had been a bullet. She turned her head, clicking her tongue. The wine being poured into the glass did not distract her or overwhelm her ears as she searched.

But she couldn’t find her mystery man, nor could she sense him. The scent of the wine did overpower her nose and she couldn’t detect that hint of metal she’d come to rely on around her mystery man.

Was he here? He had to be, but why would he be? How did he even know where Mark lived? How had he gotten into Mark’s apartment? And fuck, was she crazy, or had hecleanedMark’s apartment?

Mark picked up her right hand to guide the wine glass stem to her. “Here you go. It’s thatBarolo Serradenariby Giulia Negri you like so much. I picked it up this evening after I stopped by the restaurant.”

Tally bit her tongue against telling him that she had known that as soon as he had uncorked the wine. The aroma of plums, violets, and tobacco was quite distinctive. She took a slow sip, savoring the hints of licorice and sweet spices. “I appreciate it.”

Mark sat back on the couch, pressing his side up to hers. “I’ve missed this, you know. We haven’t just ‘hung out’ in a really long time, Tally.”

She couldn’t argue with that, because it was true. “I know, and I am sorry about that. You’re a really good friend, Mark, to be so patient with me.”

She both felt and heard Mark’s hesitation. “‘Friend’? Is that all I am to you, Tally?”

Tally switched her wine glass over to her left hand and reached forward to touch his thigh. “Do you love me, Mark? I mean, truly love me?”

She heard the swirling of liquid like he was spinning the wine inside the glass. “I…wantto love you. I feel like I could, if given enough time.”

“We’ve known each other for three years, Mark. That’s longer than most marriages.”

“But most of that time has been spent apart! That’s what I wanted to talk to you about tonight. I want you to consider moving in here.”

Tally nearly dropped her wine glass. “What?”

“Think about it, Tally. We never get to see each other. You’re up too early and out too late and I’m working towards that promotion I told you about. But if we were living together then we’d actually be able to see each other.”

Tally did not feel like this was a good time to point out that she would neverseehim. Her sense of humor would likely fall on deaf ears right now. “Mark, I don’t think moving in together will help us.”

“Then what do you suggest, Tal? Frankly, unless you hire me at your restaurant, I feel like we’ll never see each other!”

She knew he was being sarcastic, but it actually wasn’t a bad idea. At least she trusted Mark like she did Simone.

“I’m going to be honest with you, Mark. I feel like we were better off as friends. Do you think you would be able to go back to being friends?Justfriends?” she clarified.

Mark shifted on the couch next to her. She felt him lean forward and then the lightclinkas he lowered his wine glass to the coffee table. He didn’t sit back up, though, and a quick click of her tongue confirmed her suspicion that he was hunched forward with his elbows on his knees. She heard him take a deep breath.

“I don’t know, Tally. I’m almost forty-three years old. I thought I’d finally met my forever girl when I met you.”

Tally clicked her tongue to locate the exact distance to the coffee table and then put her wine glass down. She looped her arm through Mark’s and took his left hand between her two. “And the one thing I didn’t hear in that argument was that you love me. Mark, you shouldn’t have to settle for me. Neither of us should. I truly believe that you and I were better as friends.”

Mark raised his left hand, keeping hold of her right to bring the back of her hand to his lips. “Are you sure? Sex with you is pretty great.”

Tally laughed. “I can’t argue with you there, stud.” Sobering, she added, “But there needs to be more to a relationship than great sex.”

“I don’t know…”

---